The Peacekeepers of Kashmir: The UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan

In January 1949 the first UN military observers (UNMOGIP) arrived in Kashmir to supervise a ceasefire between India and Pakistan following hostilities arising from Kashmir's disputed status after Independence. In accepting the resolutions of a UN commission despatched to the area, and ratifying the Karachi Agreement of July 1949, India and Pakistan committed themselves to accepting the presence of observers until the dispute was resolved. Twice, in 1965 and 1972, war has broken out between them and after the second outbreak India withdrew its co-operation with the mission. However, it remains in place, the UN's longest-serving operation. This work presents an overview of UNMOGIP, describing the background to the Kashmir dispute and the emergence, organization and working of the mission.